e that my lord's fellow was a Frenchman, and did not know the
money or habits of the country:--"My man will see to the horses, Baptiste,"
says Colonel Esmond: "do you understand English?" "Very leetle." "So,
follow my lord and wait upon him at dinner in his own room." The landlord
and his people came up presently bearing the dishes; 'twas well they made
a noise and stir in the gallery, or they might have found Colonel Esmond
on his knee before Lord Castlewood's servant, welcoming his Majesty to his
kingdom, and kissing the hand of the king. We told the landlord that the
Frenchman would wait on his master; and Esmond's man was ordered to keep
sentry in the gallery without the door. The prince dined with a good
appetite, laughing and talking very gaily, and condescendingly bidding his
two companions to sit with him at table. He was in better spirits than
poor Frank Castlewood, who Esmond thought might be wobegone on account of
parting with his divine Clotilda; but the prince wishing to take a short
siesta after dinner, and retiring to an inner chamber where there was a
bed, the cause of poor Frank's discomfiture came out; and bursting into
tears, with many expressions of fondness, friendship, and humiliation, the
faithful lad gave his kinsman to understand that he now knew all the
truth, and the sacrifices which Colonel Esmond had made for him.

Seeing no good in acquainting poor Frank with that secret, Mr. Esmond had
entreated his mistress also not to reveal it to her son. The prince had
told the poor lad all as they were riding from Dover: "I had as lief he
had shot me, cousin," Frank said: "I knew you were the best and the
bravest, and the kindest of all men" (so the enthusiastic young fellow
went on); "but I never thought I owed you what I do, and can scarce bear
the weight of the obligation."

"I stand in the place of your father," says Mr. Esmond kindly, "and sure a
father may dispossess himself in favour of his son. I abdicate the
twopenny crown, and invest you with the kingdom of Brentford; don't be a
fool and cry; you make a much taller and handsomer viscount than ever I
could." But the fond boy with oaths and protestations, laughter and
incoherent outbreaks of passionate emotion, could not be got, for some
little time, to put up with Esmond's raillery; wanted to kneel down to
him, and kissed his hand; asked him and implored him to order something,
to bid Castlewood give his own life up or take somebody else's; an